Chris48

Thanks Carole... hopes things are going well for you too. Today hasn't been too great of a day for me. The pain from this broken right clavicle has been so unbearable, I finally called my doctors exchange tonight. She called me right back. On weds, She initally prescribed Fentanyl 12MCG patches for the pain, and its either too low of strength - or this batch of patches are defective. Anyhow, I hope to get this mess straightend out before Chemo tomorrow.

Chris, at the very beginning of your profile/signature block, type and at the very end type [/size ]. Note that you use [b]square[/b] brackets, not parentheses. Also, do not put a space before the right bracket -- I had to do that so the codes wouldn't take effect and disappear. With the codes properly inserted (no spaces), your profile would look like this: Aug 28, 2007 -- The beginning of my Adventure. Oct 3, 2007 -- CT Scan reveals a large mass in left lung lobe. its form factor is 8.0 x 5.2 x 8.5 CMs Oct 23, 2007 etc. etc. etc. You can shrink it further by using bold or a different color for the dates, then eliminating the blank lines. Look at the top of your message reply window -- the same codes that are there can be used for the profile. Aloha, Ned Thanks Ned, Here I've been doing message boards for a couple of years and I can't believe I forgot all about size= and /size (eye roll.) I guess that is how pre-occupied I've become with my modified schedule. Doctor decided to break my "mop up" Chemo's down into 2 days, after figuring out infusion was going to take a long time to administer (9hrs +). With the situation concerning my collarbone (info is in sig block) The Doc added Xomata to the list. On Thurs I was treated with Avastin and Xomata. I had no problems tolerating either one of these meds. Tomorrow (Feb 18 ) I'll be going back for blood work followed, by my Cisplatin and Taxol infusion.

Thank you all for the welcome to the boards here. I'm not sure how to shrink the signature portion below. Is there some code to achieve this for the whole signature block?

Hi All, This whole ordeal has been a learning experience for me, since being diagnosed in Oct of 2007. I'm glad I found this message board from posts recommending it highly over @ ACS. To begin with intro about me, I developed a persistent pain in my left shoulder, which I ignored for a few weeks on a belief that I'd pulled somehow pulled muscles in my back and shoulders. Not having a primary care physician, I went to see a doctor at local "Doctors on Call" clinic and with no x-rays being taken - I was diagnosed as having an upper respiritory infection. The doctor prescribed a Z-pak and sent me home. When my condition didn't resolve, and shoulder pain became worse I went back to the same clinic to see another doctor a 2nd time; this time I had chest x-rays done, (and while I was told I should be in our local hospital for treatment of pneumonia,) he put me on much stronger antibiotics (Levaquin) and an inhailer (Albuterol) and he sent me home - with directions to return in 1 week for new x-rays. In one week, (and seeing a 3rd Doctor) - there was no change according to x-rays she ordered. My Right Lung was (and still is) fine, but the Left Lung was stuffed up with crud, and my diaprhagm was not functioning fully (it would get to point beneath ribcage and stop, as if my lungs volume was compressed, or diaphragms movement was obstructed.) This Doctor referred me to a pulmonologist for evaluation, with my x-rays. Doctor examined me and then took me to look at x-rays. He said there were serious problems, and that he would like to do a CT scan of the Medastinial area of lungs to determine what the trouble was. Meanwhile my pneumonia had become more like Pluresy... I was given to coughing violently, and I was coughing up bloody plem. I went in about 1.5 weeks later for a CT Scan. A large mass was found in my left lung. It was 8 CM x 5.2 CM x 8.5 CM. + two lymph nodes involved. Right lung was clear. Next - the pulmonologist ordered a CT Guided Needle Biopsy. These samples were examined by the hospitals pathology dept, and when they couldn't come to a determination of my problem, the samples were sent out to Standford University's Pathology Dept. Diagnosis: Indifferentiated non small cell carcinoma. Of Course, by this point I was floored. How could this be happening to me?? I was told I had a type of cancer that was inoperable - because of Masses location being directly over my heart. I was told this finding doesn't mean that its incurable. Once CT of head, abdomenal cavity, full body PET and bone scan all determined there had been no spread of this cancer (talk about major sighs of relief,) my Medical Oncologist recommended a course of treatment which incl Radiation (Combo Therapy.) I would have 7 weeks of chemo with Carboplaten/Taxol (blood lab Weds, Chemo on thursdays) while having daily doses of Radiation during same period of time. After completing a mock run to mark my chest with small dot like tatoos and make a fixture for alignment, and doing simulations - The Radiation oncologist determined I should recieve 20 Days worth of daily treatments, which consisted of full shot through front, half shot from the back thru spine (all later shots from behind were angled off spine.) Chemo and Radiation schedules were later changed to 9 chemo's and 30 Radiation days (due to a CT showing positive effects this Combo therapy is having on Mass - which is actually two tumors.) At this present point in time: I've completed both the Radiation and Chemotherapy schedules. My Medical Oncologist has planned to do two final "mop up" chemotherapy's (one is scheduled for this Thursday,) with Cisplaten and Taxol (plus preventative meds I'll be taking before and after.) Once these two treatments are completed - it will be time for new scans to see where I'm at with my illness - and to determine what other courses of treatment to take. I'm physically up to doing this chemo Thursday, but I'm not really up to it psychologically; esp at the prospects of being sick, or losing my hair, LOL. I'm sure I'll get over it by then.